1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to safety structures and more particularly to a catastrophic event survival structure configured to withstand substantial wind and projectile impact forces in order to ensure the safety of occupants and/or contents located therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes, for example, are well known to cause tragic, and many times, preventable loss of life as well as devastating damage to property and valuables. In addition to severe weather-related events such as these, however, a myriad of man-made catastrophes regularly lead to severe injury and even death. Such man-made catastrophes range from organized military actions such as artillery fire and bombing activities, to civilian riots, and accidental events including auto and aviation disasters, to name a few illustrative examples.
Many man-made and natural catastrophes involve excessive wind loading, lift, shear, and projectile impact forces and are easily capable of completely destroying all but the most durable habitable structures that fall within the zone of danger. Hurricanes and tornadoes, to focus on two natural disasters, are known to generate wind forces of up to 200 miles per hour and can hurl heavy debris and projectiles, such as an automobile, for example, into a structure such as a residential, commercial, or military building with devastating and tragic consequences.
In the past, a number of shelters have been developed in an effort to protect against personal injury and damage to property and valuables resulting from the effects of natural disasters such as tornadoes. Unfortunately, however, existing solutions have generally focused upon permanently located structures requiring substantial ground clearing and construction to be done on location. Existing shelters, unfortunately, lack the requisite structural integrity to withstand a severe calamity and compensate for weak structural form by requiring underground installation. Along these lines, many existing shelters are relatively lightweight and require that a complex and burdensome anchoring system be implemented to safely secure them in place. Such anchoring systems have proven very difficult and time-consuming to construct and often require anchoring to virgin bedrock in order to prevent movement.
In an effort to overcome these deficiencies, a number of structures have been formed of high-strength concrete. Although these structures are heavier than their fiberglass, steel, and aluminum counterparts, they have not generally been successful in maximizing the design for improved aerodynamic shape, wind and lift force resistance, and projectile impact durability. Existing concrete structures have generally followed the building practices prevalent in the construction of ordinary residential and commercial buildings such as homes, apartments, stores, offices, and the like. As such, they are typically formed with generally right angles at the corners and edges and utilize a number of joints formed within the concrete structure during construction. These separately joined areas of concrete are typically the first points of failure in the event of a significant natural or man-made catastrophe and are particularly susceptible to failure during impact.
Many existing concrete structures require that a substantial amount of construction be done on-location and are not readily portable once built. As such, they cannot be deployed quickly and efficiently for use in emergency situations such as, for example, during a military raid or other strategically timed operation where quick response and set-up time for the structure is critical.
Accordingly, there is an established need for a catastrophic event survival structure and method of manufacture solving the aforementioned problems and configured to withstand substantial wind velocity and projectile impact forces such as those commonly encountered, for example, during natural and man-made catastrophes so as to ensure the safety of occupants and/or valuables located therein.